The invention relates to a sanitary appliance having
a) a housing;
b) a location space cut out of the housing for a cartridge containing the control elements;
c) a base closing off the location space in a downward direction;
d) at least one water supply pipe fastened detachably in a bore of the base, and
e) axial locking means for the water supply pipe.
Such a sanitary appliance is known from DE 31 19 313 C2. There, the locking means are formed by a collar, which is formed in the outer wall of the water supply pipe and rests against a shoulder in the base of the sanitary appliance so as to be axially locked thereby. The manufacture of such a collar on the water supply pipe involves an additional and hence expensive production stage. In addition, it is impossible for such a water supply pipe provided with a collar for axial locking purposes to be inserted from below into the base of the sanitary appliance. Said sanitary appliance therefore has to be delivered from the manufacturer with fully assembled water supply pipes.
A further sanitary appliance of the type described initially is known from DE 35 13 840 C2. There, the axial locking means are formed by a crossbar which, after the water supply pipes have been introduced, is driven through a transverse recess laterally into the base of the sanitary appliance and by virtue of the deformation of the water supply pipes produced thereby axially secures the latter. Here too, a final assembly of the sanitary appliance without water supply pipes is not possible.
The object of the present invention is therefore to develop a sanitary appliance of the type described initially in such a way that enables the subsequent fastening of water supply pipes with smooth outer lateral surfaces to an otherwise already completely assembled sanitary appliance.
Said object is achieved according to the invention in that
f) the locking means comprise a conical tension spring, which is disposed in a location space of the base, is applied by its smaller-diameter end with frictional engagement against the outer surface of the water supply pipe and is supported by its larger-diameter end against the base of said location space;
whereby
g) the conical lateral surface of the tension spring widens towards the outer end of the water supply pipe.
The tension spring may be disposed in the preassembled sanitary appliance prior to fastening of the water supply pipes. Once the water supply pipe is inserted, the tension spring acts as a friction brake and, because it is supported via the base of the location space against the sanitary appliance, prevents the water supply pipe from sliding out of the location bore. The orientation of the cone opening of the tension spring means, on the one hand, that the water supply pipe may be inserted with a low expenditure of force into the sanitary appliance but, on the other hand, that a secure fastening of the water supply pipe arises owing to the fact that, in the event of a pulling motion, the retaining force of the tension spring increases. The assembly of smooth water supply pipes, i.e. of water supply pipes without specially designed fastening projections, is therefore possible.
Thus, the time taken for final assembly of the sanitary appliance in situ, e.g. on a washstand, is also markedly reduced because all that remains to be done is to insert the water supply pipes, which may already be connected to the domestic water system, into the otherwise completely assembled sanitary appliance.
The locking means may comprise a retaining body, which rests axially against the tension spring in such a way that the tension spring is axially locked in its location space. Through the use of such a retaining body, the geometry of the base of the sanitary appliance may be simplified. It is thereby possible, for example, to manufacture the location space without forming undercuts in the base.
The retaining body is preferentially a ring surrounding the water supply pipe.
There may be disposed between the retaining body and the above-lying part of the sanitary appliance a sealing ring, which is axially compressed by the retaining body and the above-lying part. By virtue of the axial compression a prestressing of the sealing ring is achieved such that, upon insertion of the water supply pipe, the sealing ring is applied radially in a sealing manner around the water supply pipe.
The base may comprise two base parts and the location space for the conical tension spring may be disposed in the region of the boundary surface of the two base parts. Thus, easy access to the location space, into which the tension spring and retaining body are inserted, is guaranteed.
In a preferred embodiment, the base comprises a space for receiving a nut, into which a thread of an assembly bolt extending outwards through a bore of the base engages. The resultant effect is that the assembly bolt, which may take the form of a simple threaded rod, may also be introduced subsequently into the already completely assembled sanitary appliance and fastened to the latter. The otherwise completely assembled sanitary appliance may then be delivered entirely without troublesome, downward projecting pin or pipe elements, which markedly reduces the packaging outlay.
The base and the cartridge may form a structural unit, from which the housing is removable without dismantling the sanitary appliance from its supporting installation surface. The xe2x80x9cinsidesxe2x80x9d of the sanitary appliance are therefore easily accessible e.g. for maintenance purposes. If, for example, a leak arises between structural elements of the sanitary appliance, the housing may, without any other assembly steps, be removed and replaced after the repair has been carried out.